Dice game device



Oct. 17, 1950 J. H. DAwsoN DICE GAME, DEVLQE Fixed oo t. so, 194e Patented Oct. 1.7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DICE GAME DEVICE John H. Dawson, Rockville, Md. Application October 30, 1946, Serial N0. 706,670

7 Claims. (Cl. 273-145) This invention relates to devices for playing games and for use as toys.

An object is to provide a game device comprising a hollow transparent body member containing a plurality of freely movable game pieces.

Still a further object is to provide a game` device comprising a hollow transparent body member containing a plurality of freely movable game pieces wherein only certain of said game pieces are visible at any one time.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device which may be used for playing games of skill and chance. It is a further object to provide a device which may be used as both an entertaining and an educational toy.

Still a further object is to provide agame device which may be inexpensively and simply made from a variety of materials.

These and other objects will become evident from the drawings and the following description.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device made according to my invention;

Figure 2 is a section taken along Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing a modification.

As illustrated in Figure l of the drawings, my game device consists of a substantially cube shaped, hollow body member I having six flat faces. This body member is transparent in character. The space encompassed within the walls of the hollow body member is divided into a plurality of hollow compartments 2, preferably of equal size, by means of transverse walls 3 which intersect at right angles and which are preferably opaque in character. By providing a transverse wall in parallel relation to each of the three pairs of opposite and parallel faces of the cube shaped body member in a plane equidistant from said opposite faces, eight hollow compartments of equal size are produced as shownin Figure 1. A cube shaped game piece 4 is con tained within each compartment. Said game piece 4 is of sufficiently small dimensions to permit it to move and turn freely within the encompassing space. On the six faces of each game piece arearranged dots or other characters designating the numerals 1 to 6 inclusive. The six faces of the body member are similarly marked as shown although this is not essential.

When my game device is tossed or rolled or otherwise manipulated over a surface, it will come to rest on one of the fiat faces of the body member. The enclosed game pieces, which move independently of but with the body member, will une 2 2 or face of the body member and the upper facesy of the four visible game pieces.

The ve readings possible with my game device adapt it for use in a variety of different games. For example, the reading on the body member may be used as a basis with the player obtaining the largest number of similar readings on the four visible game pieces being credited with the highest score.

My game device may also be used to simulate certain card games where the highest hand is determined by the number of similar readings obtained at va given throw such as pairs, three, four or five of a kind or by the indicia of the five dice in sequence.

It will be understood that the markings on the faces of the game pieces are not limited to numerals. A variety of characters may be employed. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, for example, the faces of the game pieces are marked with letters of the alphabet. Since the eight game pieces provide 48 faces, by pairing four letters of the alphabet, the 26 letters of the alphabet may be duplicated twice. The faces of the body member are preferably unmarked. Such a game device will be both educational and entertaining for the child.

My game device may be made of any suitable and desired material such as plastic. It will also be understood that the shape of the body member and the game pieces may be varied so long as a suitable number of faces are available. For example, the external faces need not have plane, flat surfaces. However, since they must be adapted to rest on flat surfaces, it is essential that the central portion of the faces be at substantially lesser distance from the center of the body member than the periphery. The number of compartments and the number of game pieces may also be varied. The transverse walls, furthermore, do not necessarily have to be opaque in character nor arranged in the exact manner illustrated.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art 3 that though I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, various changes and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A game device comprising a closed, hollow, transparent substantially cube-shaped body member, said body member being internally divided into a plurality of hollow compartments by means of three transverse intersecting walls positioned at right angles with respect to each other, each of said walls being in parallel relation to at least one of the faces of said body member, said compartments each containing a game piece, and said' game piece being freely movable Within said compartment.

2. A game device comprising a hollow, transparent, substantially cube shaped body member,V

said body member being divided into a plurality of hollow compartments by means of three transverse intersecting walls positioned at right angles with respect to each other, each of said walls' being in substantially parallel relation to at least one of the external faces of said body member, said compartments each containing a game piece, said game piece being substantially cubical in form and said gaine piece being freely movable within said compartment.

3. A game device comprising a closed, hollow, transparent body member having a plurality of external faces of substantially equal size and shape, the central portion of said faces being at substantially lesser distance from the center of said body member than the periphery of said faces, said body member being internally divided into a plurality of hollow compartments by means of opaque transverse intersecting Walls positioned at right angles with respect to each other, each of said walls being in substantially parallel relation to at least one of the external faces of said body member, said compartments each containing a freely movable game piece, said body meinber being adapted to rest on any one of its plurality of faces and only such game pieces which are contained in compartments adjacent to an upwardly extending face of said body member being visible through said upwardly extending face.

4. A game device comprising a hollow, transparent body member of substantially dice form, said body member being divided into a plurality of hollowv compartments by means of three opaque transverse intersecting walls positioned at right angles with respect to each other, each of said opaque walls being in substantially parallel relation to at least one of the external faces of said body member, said compartments each containing a substantially dice-shaped game piece, said game piece being freely movable within said compartment, said game piece and said body member having predetermined characters 4 thereon, said body member being adapted to rest on any one of its plurality of faces and only such game pieces which are contained in compartments adjacent to an upwardly extending face of said body member being visible through said upwardly extending face.

5. A game device comprising a closed, hollow, transparent body member having a plurality of external faces, said body member being adapted to rest on any one of its plurality of faces, said body member being internally partitioned into a plurality of hollow compartments by means of opaque, transverse, intersecting walls, positioned at right angles with respect to each other, each of said walls being in substantially parallel relation to at least one of the external faces of said member, and said body member containing a plurality of freely movable game pieces, each of said compartments containing one of said game pieces.

6. A gaine device comprising a substantially cubical transparent housing, a plurality of transverse opaque partitions intersecting at right angles and dividing the interior of said housing into a plurality of superimposed compartments, and a plurality of freely movable' game pieces, each of said compartments containing one of said game pieces.l

7. A game device comprising a closed transparent hollow body member having a plurality of external faces, the central portion of each of said faces being at a substantially lesser distance from the center of said body mem-ber than the periphery of said faces, each of said faces being' in substantially parallel relation with one other of said faces, said body member being adapted to rest on any one of its plurality of faces, said body member being internally divided into a plurality of hollow compartments by means of transverse intersecting walls positioned at right angles with. respect to each other, each of said walls being in substantially parallel relation to at least one olthe external faces of said body member, said compartments each containing a game piece, said game pieceY being freely movable within said compartment.

JOHN H. DASON,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

